The deep sea he had dreamed of twice—the light that existed within its depths.
Now, Shiomi had finally reached it.
...
Tiamat stood in silence, gazing at Shiomi where he stood.
Her pink, starry eyes were as still as a mirror, clearly reflecting his form.
"…At last, I've found you, Goddess Tiamat…"
Shiomi looked back at her and began to speak, but halfway through, he changed the way he addressed her:
"No… Mother."
He wasn't her child. Yet as a human, he called out to the original mother, the one who birthed all life in the world.
That natural title stirred something in Tiamat. A flicker of confusion appeared in her eyes.
"…Mother… child… Who are you…?"
"A human. One who's obtained the same authority as you," Shiomi said, introducing himself. "I've heard your voice in my dreams more than once. You remember me, don't you?"
"…Child… No, you're not my child," Tiamat suddenly rejected.
Shiomi was slightly taken aback. He guessed it might be because he had entered her inner world without being overwhelmed or assimilated by her consciousness. To her, he must have seemed like an anomaly.
"All humans are your children. Even if I one day surpass humanity and step into a new stage, that won't change."
But Shiomi hadn't come all this way, enduring so much, for nothing.
The Primordial Mother—Tiamat.
The second of the Evils of Humanity. Beast II. The one who holds the principle of "Reproduction."
The true nature of the so-called Evils of Humanity… is human love.
Malice is fleeting. Once spent, it fades. But the desire to protect, the will to build a better future—that's what truly threatens the present. That's what bares its fangs at humanity's fragile peace.
So even as an Evil of Humanity, Tiamat never truly hated mankind.
Shiomi understood that. That's why he had chosen this path.
He wouldn't deny the gods and humans who had once abandoned her. But neither could he condemn Tiamat for wanting to return to this world.
No one was wrong. Both sides were right. They had simply walked different paths, which led to opposite ends.
"My child… You are my child too," Tiamat said softly, looking at him.
"I won't deny that," Shiomi replied. "Nor will I deny your existence. But your 'love'… it's too vast, too overwhelming for the people of this age—and for many ages to come. That's why humanity can't accept it."
He stepped forward, trying to get closer.
But the moment he moved, a powerful force pushed back against him—so intense that even taking a single step felt impossible.
Even so...
He kept moving toward her.
The closer he drew, the more the invisible force tore at his soul, crushed his spirit.
This was the heart of Tiamat's inner world, the core of her being. Though her physical body had been gravely wounded and her power diminished, it had only weakened the barrier just enough for Shiomi to enter.
But he was still a foreign presence. The closer he got, the stronger the rejection became.
"I once gave birth to countless lives. I was loved by all. But my children used me as a stepping stone and left me behind. I wanted to keep loving them… I wanted them to stay with me forever. Was my love… a mistake?"
Tiamat's voice trembled as she raised her eyes again, surprise flickering in their depths.
With every word she spoke, the human took another step forward.
Shiomi stood close now, silently meeting her gaze—his body battered, his consciousness fading fast.
And yet, he remained. He still stood there.
"That's right," Shiomi said, forcing his mouth open. "The children all love you. But children have to grow. If they stay forever under their mother's wings, they'll never leave childhood behind and step onto a new path. So—"
He reached out, gently moving toward Tiamat's face.
"The children must go. For growth. For a better future."
"Don't go… don't leave me… don't love me anymore."
Their minds were so close. The unfamiliar warmth of a child's soul drew near, and tears welled up in Tiamat's eyes.
"I won't go. And I won't leave again." Shiomi cradled her face in his hands. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, but he smiled softly. "Even if humanity one day grows enough to leave this planet, to reach the stars and the seas—I'll remain. As your last child, I'll stay by your side forever."
Words without embellishment, cleansing the soul and stirring the heart.
As a human, he had gained the role of a father.
And as a human, he had come to understand the power of a mother.
That was why he could stand here, now, and speak to Tiamat from the heart.
"Ah… such a nostalgic memory… of the sea…" Tiamat held the hands that cupped her cheeks. "Humans… can walk on their own now, and still find their way back to their mother… It's lonely, and it hurts… but I'm proud, too."
"That's… really good to hear..."
Shiomi, drained beyond his limits, lost all strength and collapsed to the ground.
But the force that had once crushed his spirit and torn at his soul was beginning to fade.
Warmth embraced him. There was no fear.
It felt like returning to the safety of a mother's womb.
No—Tiamat truly was a mother.
"Ah… my child, you've come back." Tiamat wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm home, Mother." Shiomi held her tightly in return.
He had no past, no memories, no knowledge of his parents.
Perhaps that's why he'd chosen to reach out directly to Tiamat's soul.
And perhaps, the same was true for her.
The original mother, who lived to bear, nurture, and love—had waged war on humanity because that meaning had been denied her.
Because a primitive system had declared, "Exterminate humanity or be destroyed," she had acted as she did.
But after this encounter, Shiomi came to understand the true nature of the Seventh Singularity even more deeply.
If that "misunderstanding" could be undone—could the destined clash between "mother" and child be avoided?
To humans, Beast II was a terrifying invader.
To Beast II, it was humanity that were the outsiders.
But what if… among the more than seven billion people, just one could bring about reconciliation?
That was the reason Shiomi had acted.
A dangerous gamble—yet in the end, it brought the outcome he had hoped for.